Exodus 1

¹ These are the names of the sons of Israel who, accompanied by their households, migrated with Jacob into Egypt:

² Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

³ Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

⁴ Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

⁵ The total number of the direct descendants of Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt.

⁶ Now Joseph and all his brothers and that whole generation died.

⁷ But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.

⁸ Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph , came to power in Egypt.

⁹ He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the Israelite people are growing, more so than we ourselves!

¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."

¹¹ Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.

¹² Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites

¹³ and reduced them to cruel slavery,

¹⁴ making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work--the whole cruel fate of slaves.

¹⁵ The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah,

¹⁶ When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women and see them giving birth, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live."

¹⁷ The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live.

¹⁸ So the king summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you acted thus, allowing the boys to live?"

¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives."

²⁰ Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. The people, too, increased and grew strong.

²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he built up families for them.

²² Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."